Completion of Gatekeeper Courses: Utah

Percentage of Utah Community College students completing gatekeeper English/reading and mathematics courses during their first two academic years, by race/ethnicity and age: 2006

What Is Measured?

Percentage of Utah Community College students enrolled in developmental English/reading and mathematics who completed gatekeeper courses in the same subject within their first two academic years

Who Is Counted?

Students entering Utah Community Colleges for the first time in fall 2006 who took at least one developmental English/reading and mathematics course in their first year

What It Tells Us

Some 32 percent of students age 17 to 19, 30 percent of students age 20 to 24, and 31 percent of students age 25 or older in Utah Community Colleges who took developmental English/reading and mathematics courses in their first year completed corresponding gatekeeper courses during their first two academic years.

Why It's Important

There is general consensus that timely completion of gatekeeper courses, the lowest-level college-level courses in the core subjects of mathematics, reading, and writing, positively affects student outcomes such as attainment of certificates and degrees and transfer to a four-year institution. Completion of gatekeeper courses fulfills requirements for graduation and transfer as well as prerequisites for more advanced courses in various fields.

About the Data

Race/ethnicity: Other includes Asian; American Indian or Alaska Native; and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Racial categories exclude persons of Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, who are presented separately.